A mum-of-four who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer is launching yoga classes in a bid to help other survivors.
Louisa McKay, from Banff in Aberdeenshire, was given the shock diagnosis in July 2021 and has been undergoing a series of gruelling, intense treatments ever since - including a mastectomy and chemotherapy, the latter of which caused her to develop sepsis.
The 44-year-old first felt a lump in her breast last year but wasn't overly concerned due to having had a mammogram two years previous.
However after receiving her first dose of the covid vaccine, she noticed soreness down her side and a lump form in her armpit.
Convinced that it wasn't just a side effect, she was referred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and after a scan and numerous biopsies, was hit with the devastating news that she had cancer.
Six months on, Louisa says that her life is consumed by the disease. She was put into medical menopause, lost 75 per cent of her hair and has been left without a left breast.
Despite this, she is now on a mission to better the lives of other patients as well as their families and carers by holding specialised yoga for cancer classes, which aim to return people back to their bodies and overcome trauma.
Louisa told the Record: "It's such an alien feeling because I wasn't feeling unwell. I was so fit and healthy, I was running multiple classes a week. I had a strong yoga practice so it was just devastating, and it doesn't stop.
"Every single day you're thinking about your next step or scan or procedure or what your treatment plan is going to be. You don't have time to think about or engage in normal life.
"Triple negative cancer has a high rate of recurrence and spread so it's pretty much fatal. If you get metastatic then it's a very poor prognosis.
"I've spent so much time thinking about what I would do if I got the news that I was going to die.
"Training for the classes has been absolutely incredible because I felt like a person again. I didn't feel like a patient or someone who is a survivor, I felt like a human being who had potential for movement.
"It's so difficult to be present in your body when there are needles constantly being put into it or blood taken out of it. After having chemo, I'd go to hug my little girl and she'd tell me that I smelled. It's the physical effects that make it unbearable.
"It's not just about yoga positions, it's about having that space to come into a room where you don't need to talk about your experience, be in a hospital or see a consultant. You can be without hair or be flat chested, the point is to just exist and breathe.
"Throughout treatment, I caught myself holding my breath out of sheer fear."
Thankfully, Louisa's latest surgery seven weeks ago confirmed that her cancer had pretty much gone.
With light at the end of the tunnel, she now hopes to expand her training to help those with alcohol or substance abuse issues as she has faced similar struggles in the past.
She explained: "My husband and I had a bad relationship with alcohol. It wasn't beneficial to us in our relationship and home life. We weren't physically addicted to alcohol but we were habitual drinkers so we made the decision to stop.
"It's been the best thing either of us have ever done and we've now been sober for five years.
"I considered going to AA but I didn't feel like enough of an addict and that may be similar for others considering sobriety. They might not want to be termed an addict.
"I turned to drink when I was unable to cope with things so I'm interested in habitual substance abuse and having a space to explore that more deeply for addicts or people who want to consider their relationship with alcohol or drugs."
To find out more about Louisa's classes, click here .
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
